Avunya double niche rug

Avunya double niche rug
from western Anatolia
circa 1870
Size: 150 x 110 cm

For devout Moslems, the prayer rug was often their most cherished possession. This beautiful old rug was made by villagers in the Taurus mountains south of Konya, the old Seljuk capital.
One traditional interpretation of the mihrab was as the gateway to heaven through which the worshipper must pass to enter paradise.
It was the sacred space upon which they prostrated themselves, facing Mecca, and prayed seeking a level of awareness in close contact with God five times a day.
For this rug, the beauty lies in it’s immediacy and simplicity, and perfect juxtaposition of striking primary colour.